We both retired in May of 2006. For the first 6 years we were avid RV'ers and addicted to the game of Pickleball. In September of 2013 we sold the RV and bought a house on the canal to Lake June in Lake Placid, FL where we continue to meet new people and make new friends. Fishing is our favorite past-time now. THANK YOU to our families and friends, old and new, for making our retirement the best chapter in our life so far.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

I know that this is typical Florida weather - but the rain over the past week or so has been just a little too much! I'm still healing both from the recent hospital bout and the knee. But Rich has headed out to Hacienda Rec Center every afternoon for pickleball.

You can tell when I have to take pictures of clouds and rain that I am getting pretty board! But for so many days it's been...........

Decent mornings - a little sun shine. Just enough to tease you and make you start to think about what you can do, or where you might go...

Then about 12; 30 or so - Rich heads out to play pickleball. The clouds are starting to build - but maybe it's not raining further north where the courts are....

They start playing about 12:30...............listening between games for the thunder and keeping an eye out for the lightening as the sky begins to get darker and darker and the wind starts to blow.

Most days they have had enough time to get in 5 or 6 really good games before they get rained off the courts. Only ONE day ....did they start and stop before the first game was over.. And then it rains - and I open the garage door and watch for Rich to return............

But I guess I shouldn't complain................. It could be WORSE!!!!

Right now the forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday is temps in the 80's and only 20-30 percent chance of rain!!!

WE EXPECT OUR GOOD FRIENDS NATE AND KRYSTAL TO ARRIVE SOMETIME LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON !!!

Friday, August 17, 2012

With the exception of seeing our friends and anticipating the arrival of more friends - it's been a pretty ugly week for me. I already told you about the hamstring pull.

A week or so ago I started getting some pain under my left arm - and the pain then spread to the chest area. Tuesday was bad, Wednesday was worse and by Thursday morning it was getting pretty uncomfortable. So I called and made an appointment with the doctor for 9:45 that morning. It was the regular chest x-ray, an EKG. The obvious was that it was the heart - a sudden angina attack - so it was an aspirin and a dose of Nitroglycerin Spray under the tongue to dilate the blood vessels. A little relief - so we scheduled some blood work and a stress test - and about this time the pain worsened - into the shoulder area and some slight tingling of the left arm!!!

The next thing I heard was call an ambulance - she's going to the hospital NOW!! I argued - to no avail......( I was worried because I had the car and Rich was home ....................How inconvenient!!) But the paramedics arrived and I had my very first ambulance ride experience - the IV - the oxygen - another EKG - and lots of questions.
Nine hours later and three or four more sprays of Nitro ------I was nestled in my hospital bed for the evening. Rich was able to get our neighbor to drive him to to doctors office to get the car and then made his way to the hospital. The night was as expected. You feel like crap and can't get any sleep between the pills , the blood work and the blood pressure.

Good news this morning allowed me to be discharged and to go home. The believe that the pain is caused by something called Costochondritis - which is an inflammation of the cartilage area that connects the rib to the breastbone or sternum. While the cause is not positive - he believe this was caused by a respiratory viral infection or from trauma to the area like a strain of coughing. It should go away by itself - I just need to take 600 mill. of ibuprofen a couple of times, or as needed for the pain.

Kidding Rich today - he missed his opportunity to get even with me........He could have got some really ugly photos of me - but forgot the camera!

It's really been a very quiet few weeks. Mo and Jeanne are visiting family in Massachusets, Tim and Marlene are gone until next week, Nancy and Cindy are back in Ft. Myers.... When Mother Nature does not decide to send us our afternoon thunder shower, Rich has managed to get out on the courts at Hacienda for some good pickleball competition with the guys. I continue to have problems with my left leg. This time it was not the miniscus - but the hamstring. That was almost two weeks ago - so I'll be out of commission for a little bit longer.

We were back at the Lighthouse restaurant again this past Monday - Jeanne call at the perfect time on Monday. It was last minute but before I had started our meal.

We heard from Nick and Tonyia on Wednesday - and our prayers are with them, as they head back to North Carolina. Nick's Mom is not doing well, but they are letting her come home and be comfortable during her last few days.

On Wednesday Linda and Jenny came to join us for dinner. We did an Italian night with a little wine and cheese, Manicotti and Sausage, Ceasar Salad and Garlic Toast. We finished with mini cannolis for dessert.

We had not seen Jenny since last year - but she made up with Rich real quickly as she stood at attention for some gourmet goodies!

They only stayed for a couple of hours - but it was nice visiting and catching up. Miss Jenny joins Mom (Linda) for a family photo before they head for home.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

We really hate having the family so far away........and never as much as on special occasions. On July 30th, our Daughter-in-law, Crystal, celebrated a birthday... and I think it's number 43!!!

This is year has been a year of remincing..........and so I did the same with this birthday......... Some of our favorite pictures, and favorite memories that show just how blessed we are to have this special lady in our family.